A car accident in Howard County, Maryland, that has raised more questions than answers claimed the lives of two teenagers and sent three other teenagers to the hospital with serious injuries. Police say an 18-year-old Linthicum, Maryland, driver may have been speeding when he lost control of a 2008 Pontiac GT in Elkridge.
A witness told investigators that the car was heading westbound in the 6200 block of Lawyers Hill Road, when the vehicle crossed over onto the eastbound side of the road. The Pontiac apparently left the road and collided with a tree.
Two of the passengers, who sat in the front and rear passenger seats, died at the scene. The victims, an 18-year-old Severn man and a 19-year-old Linthicum man, had not been wearing seat belts.
The three other occupants, all Anne Arundel County residents, were hospitalized with serious injuries. The driver was airlifted to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he was last listed in critical condition. Two other teenagers injured in the crash were transported by emergency medical personnel to the same medical facility. The Glen Burnie females, ages 16 and 18, are reported in stable condition.
The severity of the passengers’ injuries was not reported. Reports did not state whether the hospitalized victims had been wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.
Alcohol has not been named as a factor, although the Howard County Police Department said the accident investigation is ongoing. Authorities are attempting to learn if the driver was going too fast. Police also want to know why the teenagers were in Elkridge that night.
While the investigation is ongoing, it could be a good time for the injured parties and their families to consult with attorneys, to find out what their options are. If it is found that the driver was acting in a negligent or reckless manner, he could be held liable in civil court for the wrongful deaths of the two boys, along with the injuries to the two other girls.